Adjustment device for furniture fittings

ABSTRACT

An adjustment device for furniture fittings includes a rotating disk which is arranged on an outer side of a fitting plate. A fixing screw protrudes through a central bore of the rotating disk which is mounted in a pivotable and displaceable manner. The rotating disk includes a spiral-shaped guiding groove which is arranged on the inner side of the disk facing the fitting plate and in which guiding body which is connected to the fitting plate is engaged. When the rotating disk is rotated, the fitting plate is adjusted in relation to the screwed rotating disk.

The invention concerns an adjustment device for furniture fittings witha fixing screw that protrudes through an elongated hole extending inadjustment direction of a fitting plate with the fixing screw extendingthrough a bore of a rotating disc that is arranged in a pivotable manneron the outer side of said fitting plate.

Technical furniture fittings such as assembly fittings, pullout tracksetc. must be fixed at a certain height on the respective furniture pieceto keep the respective corresponding furniture pieces in their positionrelative to each other. Simply screwing on the furniture fittings, forexample, does not provide sufficient accuracy of height. If a piece isto be screwed on with a certain degree of required accuracy, acorresponding high degree of accuracy is required for placing therespective bores as well as for manufacturing the furniture fittings.However, this would be quite labor intensive. This is why in many casesit is possible to subsequently adjust the height of the mountedfurniture fitting. This ensures that there are no high tolerancerequirements for the manufacture of the furniture fittings or formounting said fittings to the furniture pieces because the desired exactadjustment, for example height adjustment, can be carried outsubsequently by means of the adjustment device.

In known adjustment devices for furniture fittings a bore on thefurniture fitting that accommodates a fixing screw is an elongated holethat extends in adjustment direction, for example in vertical direction.The furniture fitting can be adjusted vertically prior to tightening thefixing screw all the way. It also is possible to make subsequentadjustments, e.g. height adjustments, by loosening the fixing screw andmoving the furniture fitting in vertical direction.

The disadvantage of such a simple design adjustment device is the factthat the furniture fitting can shift with high loads or when the fixingscrew is tightened so that the desired alignment is lost. Since thefixing of the furniture fittings is actuated by adherence, the usertends to tighten the fixing screw as much as possible. This, however,can cause the fixing screw to strip so that it subsequently is no longerpossible to fix the furniture fitting properly at this particularlocation.

In an adjustment device for furniture fittings as described in theintroduction (DE 28 21 101 B2), the rotating disc that is mounted to thefitting plate is an adjusting lever that is arranged on a fixing screwon the furniture piece. The adjustment is achieved by way of twosetscrews that act on the adjusting lever. Adjusting these setscrews,which must be done in opposing direction, is relatively difficult. Ifthe setscrews are not properly tightened or if the threads are worn, theadjustment position changes under load because there is no automaticlock for the adjusting lever.

In another adjustment device for furniture fittings (DE 27 52 779 C2) arotating disc is used that is arranged in a pivotable manner on theouter side of a fitting plate with said rotating disc having aspiral-shaped building groove that is arranged on the inner side of saidrotating disc that faces the fitting plate and wherein a guiding body isengaged. This adjustment device, track and on which the rotating discsupports itself on its circumference. Therefore the possible uses ofthis adjustment device are very limited.

The object of the invention therefore is to design an adjustment devicefor furniture fittings as described in the preamble such that itprovides easy adjustment and an effective setting of the furniturefitting that does not change under high load.

The object of the invention is attained in that the bore for the fixingscrew is arranged in a central location on the rotating disc, in thatthe rotating disc is arranged on the fitting plate in a manner thatallows height adjustment and in that the rotating disc, on its innerside facing the fitting plate, has a spiral-shaped guiding groovewherein a guiding body that is connected to the fitting plate isengaged.

The adjustment, for example height adjustment, is accomplished byturning the rotating disc. In doing so the guiding groove glides alongthe guiding body arranged on the fitting plate which causes the rotatingdisc to move up or down or horizontally in relation to the fitting plateto the extent the elongated hole through which the fixing screw or adifferent fixing element, for example a rivet, extends, allows suchmovement. The fixing screw simultaneously serves as the pivot bearingfor the rotating disc.

Since the spiral's incline is so small that an automatic lock isprovided in vertical direction relative to the guiding body, therespective selected setting does not change with high loads, even if therotating disc were arranged on the fixing screw in an easily pivotablemanner. In addition, tightening the fixing screw more can also influencethe smooth running of this bearing. Therefore no special measure isrequired for fixing the respective selected position. Thus any requiredsubsequent adjustments are easily possible.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the rotating dischas a tooling shoulder on its outer side that faces away from the fixingplate with this tooling shoulder being a profile recess that is arrangedeccentrically in relation to the rotating axis of the rotating disc andthat accommodates a screw driver, wherein the recess preferably is across recess for a crosstip screwdriver. Although the screwdriverengages eccentrically on the rotating disc, it is possible to easilyrotate the rotating disc with a tool that is readily available.

It is practical for the guiding body to be ball arranged on anindentation on the fitting plate with half of it extending into theguiding groove whose cross-section has a semi-spherical shape. Thisprovides a simple connection between the fitting plate and the rotatingdisc that is connected to the fixing screw with the connection beingcomprised of simple components.

Additional advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject ofadditional sub-claims.

The adjusting device advantageously can be used as a height adjustmentdevice at the end of a drawer or as a height adjustment device of anangle bracket of a furniture front plate.

The adjustment device in accordance with the invention advantageouslycan be used as a length adjustment device on one of two legs of afitting angle, in which case the adjustment direction extends at a rightangle relative to the other leg of the fitting angle.

The invention is described in more detail based on exemplary embodimentsbelow that are shown in the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a height adjustment device for a drawer that is shown inits lowest position in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2 shows the height adjustment device according to FIG. 1 in a meanheight position,

FIG. 3 shows the height adjustment device according to FIG. 1 in theupper position of the drawer,

FIG. 4 shows a profile along line IV-IV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a profile along line V-V in FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 shows a front view of the rotating disc in direction of arrow VIin FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 shows the horizontal profile of a height adjustment device on anangle bracket for a furniture front plate,

FIG. 8 shows a somewhat modified embodiment,

FIG. 9 shows the vertical profile of a length adjustment device on oneof the two legs of an angle bracket for furniture,

FIG. 10 shows a profile along line X-X in FIG. 9 and

FIG. 11 shows a profile along line XI-X in FIG. 9.

The adjustment device, which is a height adjustment device in FIGS. 1-7of the embodiment, is attached to a furniture fitting, in particular atelescope drawer pull 1 whose pullout front end provides the fittingplate 2 on which the height adjustment device is arranged. The heightadjustment device has a rotating disc 4 that is arranged on the outerside 3 of the fitting plate 2. A fixing screw 5 extends through acentral bore 6 of the rotating disc 4 and is screwed into the respectivefurniture piece 7, for example into the side wall of a drawer.

The rotating disc 4 has a collar 8 that surrounds the central bore 6 andprotrudes from the front. Said collar fits into a vertical elongatedhole 9 of the fitting plate 2 so that the rotating disc 4 can bearranged relative to the fitting plate 3 [sic].

On its outer side 10 that faces away from the fitting plate 2 therotating disc 4 has a concentrically arranged crosstip recess 11 for acrosstip screwdriver as a tooling shoulder.

On its circumference the rotating disc 4 has a protrudingcircumferential collar 12 that is overlapped by two lateral guidebrackets 13, 14 that are connected to the fitting plate 2. The guidebrackets 13, 14 are sheet steel tongues that are punched out from thefitting plate 2 and are bent at a right angle. Below these guidebrackets 13 and 14 the circumferential collar 12 of the rotating disc 4not only can be turned but can also be shifted vertically.

On the inner side 15 that faces the fitting plate 2 the rotating disc 4has a spiral-shaped guiding groove 16 into which a ball 17 engages as aguiding body when mounted, with the ball being arranged in anindentation 18, for example a bore of the fitting plate 2. Approximatelyhalf of the ball 17 extends into the guiding groove 16. Thecross-section of the guiding groove 16, corresponding to the ball 17,has a semi-spherical shape.

FIGS. 1-3 and especially FIG. 6 show that the guiding groove 16 extendsover a circumferential angle of more than 360°, i. e. both ends of theguiding groove 16 overlap. It also is possible to have a guiding groove16 with a smaller circumferential angle so that the ends do not overlap.It also is possible to have a guiding groove 16 with more overlap at theends.

To adjust the height of the fitting plate 2 that forms part of thetelescope pullout 1 relative to the side wall 7, the rotating disc 4 isturned by way of the crosstip recess 11. In doing so the fixing screw 5is only tightened far enough until only one rotation of the rotatingdisc 4 is possible. Since the ball 17 is fixed on the fitting plate 2and the rotating disc 4 also is fixed on the furniture piece 7 invertical direction via the fixing screw 5, the incline of thespiral-shaped guiding groove 16 causes the fitting plate 2 to bedisplaced in vertical direction when the rotating disc 4 is turned withthe elongated hole 9 moving along the collar 8.

FIG. 1 shows the fitting plate 4 [sic] in the lowest position. If therotating disc 4 is turned counterclockwise by 180°, for example, untilit reaches the intermediate position shown in FIG. 2, the fitting plate2 is lifted in the process. If the rotating disc 4 then is turned byanother 180° in counterclockwise direction until it reaches the endposition shown in FIG. 3, in which the ball 17 is located on the innerend of the guiding groove 16, the fitting plate 2 reaches its highestposition with the collar 8 being at the lower end of the elongated hole9.

Since the incline of the guiding groove 16 is considerably smaller thanthe automatic lock angle, the fitting plate 2 is automatically locked inevery selected height adjustment position without requiring any specialfixing mechanism. The fixing screw 5 can be tightened once the desiredheight is reached; however, this is not really necessary in order to fixthe respective height adjustment in its position.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7 the described heightadjustment device, for which the same reference numbers are used, isattached to an angle bracket 19 with which a furniture front plate 20 isattached to a drawer 7, for example. The previously described functionof the height adjustment device in this case is used to align the frontplate 20 vertically. The fitting plate 2 that carries the heightadjustment device forms a leg of the angle bracket 19 whose other leg 21is screwed to the back of the front plate 20 in a customary manner. Theside wall of the drawer 7 in [sic] which the fixing screw 5 is screwed,just like in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1-6, is a solid plateinto which the fixing screw 5 is screwed, for example a particle board.

Deviating from this the sidewalls of the drawer 7′ in the exemplaryembodiment according to FIG. 8 are made of sheet steel. The fixing screw5 is screwed into a threaded bush 5′ with a top that extends through abore of the sidewall of the drawer 7′.

Instead of a screwed connection it also is possible to use a rivet as afixing element with which the adjustment device is attached to the sheetmetal sidewall of the drawer 7. In the exemplary embodiment in FIGS.9-11 the adjustment device is a longitudinal adjustment device. Thefitting plate 2 that carries the longitudinal adjustment device formsone of the two legs of an angle bracket 22. The adjustment device runsat a right angle relative to the other leg 23 of the angle bracket 22.The elongated hole 9 along which the collar 8 of the rotating disc 4 canbe moved according to the exemplary embodiment of a longitudinaladjustment device in FIGS. 9-11 extends at a right angle relative to leg23 and thus determines the adjustment direction, for example inhorizontal direction. The ball 17 that presents the guiding body in thespiral-shaped guiding groove 16, just like in the height adjustmentdevice described above, is arranged in the extension of the elongatedhole 9, i. e. between the longitudinal hole 9 and the leg 23.

Here, too, the two guide brackets 13, 14 that overlap thecircumferential collar 12 of the rotating disc 4 are arranged on bothsides of the elongated hole 9, i.e. in the example of a horizontaladjustment device above and below the rotating disc 4, so that therotating disc 4 can move relative to the fitting plate 2 in adjustmentdirection.

The longitudinal adjustment device shown in FIGS. 9-11 is used, forexample, for pulling the furniture front plate 20 to which the leg 23 isscrewed, against the furniture piece 7 to which the front plate 20 isattached by means of the fixing screw 5 of the rotating disc 4.

1. Adjustment device for furniture fittings, comprising: a fixing screw;a fitting plate having an elongated hole through which the fixing screwprotrudes, the elongated hole extending in adjustment direction of thefitting plate; a rotating disc, the fixing screw extending through abore of the rotating disc, the rotating disc being arranged in apivotable manner on an outer side of the fitting plate, wherein the borefor the fixing screw is arranged in a center of the rotating disc, therotating disc is arranged on the fitting plate in a manner that allowsfor height adjustment and the rotating disc, on an inner side thereofthat faces the fitting plate, has a spiral-shaped guiding groove intowhich a guiding body that is connected to the fitting plate is engaged.2. Adjustment device according to claim 1 wherein the rotating disc hasa collar (8) that fits into the elongated hole and surrounds the centralbore.
 3. Adjustment device according to claim 1 wherein the rotatingdisc on its outer side facing away from the fitting plate has a toolingshoulder.
 4. Adjustment device according to claim 3 wherein the toolingshoulder is a profile recess for a screw driver and is eccentricallyarranged relative to an axis of rotation of the rotating disc. 5.Adjustment device according to claim 4 wherein the profile recess is acrosstip recess for a crosstip screwdriver.
 6. Adjustment deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein the rotating disc has a protrudingcircumferential collar around its circumference that is overlapped bytwo lateral guide brackets that are connected to the fitting plate. 7.Adjustment device according to claim 6 wherein the guide brackets aresheet steel tongues that are punched out from the fitting plate and arebent at a right angle.
 8. Adjustment device according to claim 1 whereinthe guiding body is a ball inserted into an indentation of the fittingplate.
 9. Adjustment device according to claim 8 wherein the ballextends approximately halfway into the guiding groove and thecross-section of the guiding groove is semi-spherical.
 10. Adjustmentdevice according to claim 1 wherein the guiding groove extends over acircumferential angle of more than 360°.
 11. A pullout drawer comprisinga pullout drawer and an adjustment device according to claim 1 as aheight adjustment device at an end of the pullout drawer.
 12. Afurniture frontplate comprising an angle bracket and an adjustmentdevice according to claim 1 as a height adjustment device of an theangle bracket.
 13. A fitting angle comprising two legs and an adjustmentdevice according to claim 1 as a length adjustment device on one of twolegs of the fitting angle the, wherein an adjustment direction extendsat a right angle relative to the other leg of the fitting angle.